Chapter 1383

Arriving at the room door, Roxanne glanced at her shirt. "I'll wash this and return it," she said. Their time at the food stall, including the altercation with the drunkards, had left their clothes smelling strongly of barbecue and alcohol. Roxanne was somewhat disconcerted by the odor.

"You were probably startled earlier," Lucian remarked, subtly shifting the conversation.

It took Roxanne a moment to understand. She pursed her lips, smiling slightly. "Yeah, a little. That was a large group. We should have just left; there was no point in getting involved."

Lucian's brows furrowed. "I didn't like how they looked at you." He was clearly stating he'd stayed because the drunkards were behaving inappropriately toward her.

Roxanne was surprised, but a slow smile spread across her face. "Thank you." She felt a pang of guilt. She had suggested the roadside stall, and it had caused Lucian trouble. Her gratitude was likely the last thing he wanted to hear. Yet, seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he simply nodded. "Get some rest. You have an early start tomorrow."

He turned and entered the adjacent room. Only after watching him disappear did Roxanne return to her own. She wondered if she was imagining things, but Lucian seemed slightly gloomy a moment before. She couldn't understand why. Exhausted from the day, she quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Roxanne's alarm rang. She rose promptly, freshened up, and went downstairs to wait for Jack and the other doctors. By seven o'clock, everyone had arrived. Several doctors who knew her greeted her warmly, and she responded with smiles.

Jack, the last to approach, spoke in his usual friendly manner. Roxanne felt a twinge of guilt, remembering her rejection of him the previous day and her subsequent supper with Lucian. To Jack's question about her sleep, she replied vaguely, "Not bad. The hotel you chose has a nice atmosphere, Mr. Damaris."

As she spoke, she caught sight of Lucian, impeccably dressed, exiting the elevator and heading toward the hotel entrance. Seemingly sensing her gaze, he turned and offered a fleeting smile. Before she could react, he looked away and left the hotel.

"What's wrong?" Jack noticed her distraction and followed her gaze, but the entrance was already empty. Recalling the previous night's events, he understood who she had seen. A look of displeasure crossed his face, quickly replaced by a serious expression as he said, "It's late. Let's go."

Roxanne's attention snapped back to the present; she adopted a composed demeanor. The group boarded the bus Jack had arranged. Roxanne and Jack sat at the front. During the journey, she questioned him thoroughly about the previous day's medical consultation, and he answered patiently. However, when he inquired about her outing, her responses were evasive. The online buzz surrounding her and Lucian made her reluctant to discuss it at work. The more she tried to conceal things, the more Jack speculated about the nature of her relationship with Lucian.